HIGH SECURITY - Mr Recorder Michael Hubbard told Bristol Crown Court he was very suspicious about the jailbreak from Winchester Prison

Meticulous planning and careful execution enabled William Todd to make his breakout from prison.

His escape reads like a Boys' Own adventure story - he hid a mobile phone by strapping it to his testicles and stuffed his bed with pillows to fool guards.

But this was not a schoolboy sneaking from his dormitory, it was a convicted murderer breaking out of a top security prison.

Todd's only mistake was when a security guard at a neighbouring garden centre saw him breach the prison's perimeter wall - giggling as he fled - at about 4am on Monday, December 10. From then the chase to catch him was on.

Guards later found pillows on his bed under his blanket - put there so officers would think he was asleep - and another sheet covering his window to hide the sawn bars.

Months of preparation had gone into the 38-year-old's breakout. His bid for freedom started two hours before he scaled the prison walls when he unleashed his "comprehensive escape kit". The Tilehurst man pulled out a hacksaw smuggled into the prison along with balaclavas hidden in a stereo.

He spent 90 minutes sawing through the bars in his window before he made his way past an internal wire security fence, which had already been cut. The route, it was revealed in court, also took advantage of a CCTV blind spot.

At the perimeter fence his contacts on the outside threw over a rope and Todd, laughing as he reached the top, clambered to freedom.

Ben Stephenson, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court: "On Monday, December 10, last year security officer Michael Pead was checking the garden centre next to HMP Winchester. He heard a thudding sound from the area of the prison. A figure appeared on top of the wall and began to get over the corner of the wall."

He said Mr Pead then became aware of two people "giggling on top of the wall".

The escape triggered a massive manhunt for the man convicted of murdering Alex El-Hachadi and the attempted murder of a one-time cellmate of Todd, Arthur De Sousa Todd was sent to HMP Winchester in October last year and ordered to serve two life sentences.

He was placed in the category B prison's top security wing. His big break came when he

convinced the prison authorities he should be moved to a ground-floor cell with Paul Taylor.

Todd, who feared De Sousa would take revenge on his family, believed Taylor held the key to his escape.

Todd's defence barrister Charles Sherrard said the move was only possible "with inside help". He added: "You could almost step outside."

With the help of Taylor, 32, Todd set about gathering the "comprehensive escape kit".

The court heard the first phase came when a stereo arrived at the jail. Hidden inside were hacksaw blades and balaclavas. Later came mobile phones so Todd could liaise with contacts outside. The court heard random cell checks proved futile as Todd was tipped off before each one and managed to hide the kit.

Ben Stephenson, prosecuting, said: "This exceeded carrying mobile phones. Each had strapped a mobile to their scrotum to prevent detection.

"This escape was well planned and well researched.

"Assistance was being given from the outside, certainly, and inside possibly."

The court heard Taylor had said during his trial - before he admitted assisting Todd to escape - that Todd had been running Winchester jail.

Two accomplices who helped Todd once outside had their sentencing adjourned last week after the probation service failed to compile a pre-sentence report in time. Marcus Swaine, 44, of Dartmouth Road, Portsmouth, and Anthony Oldfield, of Gritanwood Road, Portsmouth, will be sentenced at a later date after admitting conspiring to aid the escape of the Tilehurst man.

Todd was free for five days before being recaptured in Woodley. His dream of freedom came to an end when an officer carrying out a routine stop check on a car recognised him.

Mr Stephenson said: "He gave a false name but when he was recognised by one of the officers said ‘well done, you got me'."

A PRISON officer at HMP Winchester has been suspended after William Todd claimed he received inside help in his escape from the prison.

A spokeswoman for the prison service said: "A prison officer has been suspended while police investigations are carried out."